Frequently Asked Questions

Osteopathy is a discipline that involves hands-on treatment of injuries and the prescription of rehabilitation exercises to help people overcome their pain and dysfunction. It focuses on providing comprehensive care to patients of all ages.

Osteopaths are trained to treat problems of the musculo-skeletal system – this means pain and injuries to your muscles, ligaments, joints and tendons. This includes injuries like back pain, and neck and shoulder pain; sports injuries like knee injuries, ankle and achilles pain and tendonitis; hand and finger injuries and pain and dysfunction experienced during pregnancy such as pelvic girdle pain and sciatica. Osteopaths also treat people after fractures and surgeries and guide people through their rehabilitation and get them back to full function.

No, you can refer yourself to see an osteopath and pay for the treatment yourself. 

You can do this, however to get access to NHS Osteopathy you will first need to see your GP. This could take 2-3 weeks just to get your appointment with the GP. Once the GP has referred you to NHS Osteopathy you could be waiting 2 or 3 months on the waiting list.

 It is quicker and easier to book your appointment online by clicking on the “BOOK NOW” button where you can select a day and a time that suits you best. Alternatively, you can schedule an appointment by calling our office at 079 4990 8888 or by filling out the appointment request form on our website.

Yes, you can book, change and cancel appointments online. However, please note we have a 24-hour cancellation policy. In order to avoid being invoiced for your treatment please give us more than 24-hours notice if you need to change or cancel an appointment.

Most appointments are 40-45 minutes. This is sufficient time for a skilled and experienced therapist to assess, diagnose and treat your problem. However, if you have multiple unrelated areas to discuss (a shoulder and a knee for example) we can either book an hour and manage both of these for you, or stick to 40-45 minutes and just manage the most pressing concern.

We request that all children under 16 are accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Adults do not require a chaperone unless you feel you would prefer to bring one with you. We cannot provide chaperones.

In an initial appointment you will be asked to explain your injury or problem, how it happened, how long you have had it and how it makes you feel. You will be asked to set some goals about what you want to achieve from your time spent NC Osteopathy.

Your therapist will also run through your past medical history finding out about any medical diagnoses or medicine that you take.

Next your therapist will carry out a physical examination looking at the affected area plus carry out an assessment of your posture and how you move. Once they have carried out this assessment they will put together a treatment plan for you.

In the remaining time of your initial assessment and on subsequent treatment sessions they will carry out this treatment plan and also give you home exercises to do to either resolve your problem or to give you a management strategy to keep your symptoms under control.

You do not need to do anything you are uncomfortable with. We may request that you remove certain items of clothing to facilitate assessment and treatment. Please bring shorts (and wear a sports bra) to appointments. 

Yes, your Osteopath is medically and legally obliged to ask you questions about your medical history, assess your problem and design a treatment plan. Once this has been carried out you will receive treatment. Due to the case history being taken, the treatment time on your first appointment is generally shorter.

Osteopathy and massage are hands-on treatments where we manipulate joints and massage soft tissues – you can feel a bit stiff and sore afterwards. This soreness usually resolves spontaneously after 24-48 hours.

This is much harder to answer. Some people get better in just 2 or 3 sessions over the course of few weeks, others need as many as 8 or 9 treatments over the course of 2 or 3 months. Generally, the more severe the damage, the longer it will take.

For example, if you are recovering from surgery or a fracture it might take longer than 6 months before you are better. If you have just woken up with a stiff neck it might take 2 or 3 weeks. After your assessment the Osteopath will explain how long they think it will take to get your injury better.

Our philosophy is to get you better in as few sessions as possible, help you self-manage your problem and get your back to your sporting passion. Most spinal and sports injuries can be dealt with in 4 or 5 sessions. Of course, if you are having Osteopathy post-surgery or post fracture, or for a chronic pain you will require more Osteopathy sessions. You can discuss your treatment plan with your therapist.

Please get authorisation from your insurer BEFORE booking an appointment with us. We can issue you a receipt to claim back our fee from your insurer. However we are not liable for, and will not reimburse you for any shortfall in what your insurer subsequently reimburses you.

Yes, to practice as an Osteopath in UK you must be registered with the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC). You can check your practitioner's listing on https://www.osteopathy.org.uk/register-search/